Needle drier



April I, 1930. P. w FLAGGE NEEDLE DRIER Filed May 3, 1929 Patented Apr.1, 1930 PATET oFFicE um-TEosTArEs PHILIP WESLEY FLAGGE, OF HIGH POINT,NORTH CAROLINA nnnnrn DRIER Application filed May 3, 1929. Serial No.360,230..

This invention relates to needle driers and more particularly to driersfor hypodermic needles, syringe nozzles or other tubular instrumentshaving sockets for attachment to other parts of surgical devices;

It is well known that in the process of cleaning and sterilizing theseinstruments, a portion of the water or cleaning. solution is retained inthe inner end of the socket behind the shoulder which connects the innerwall of the socket with the bore of the instrument. By the'use of anyform of drying device which directs the air or other drying fluid onlythrough the bore of the instrument it is impossible to remove thisentrapped moisture.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide means wherebythe entire interior of such an instrument may be dried easily andefliciently.

The present invention contemplates. the

provision of a pneumatic drier having a nipple adapted to be inserted inthe hub socket of a hypodermic needleor other in strument, said nipplebeing provided with grooves in its outer surface'. These grooves formchannels between the inner walls of the needle socket and the nipple,through which the entrapped moisture may be expelled by the air blastduring operation of the drier.

The grooves'may be cut in any desired pattern provided only that theyconnect the space between the end ofthe nipple and the internal shoulderof the needle'with the outside air. In the preferred embodiment of theinvention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, some of the groovesare shown parallel to the bore of the instrument and others diagonal,but it is obvious that theuse of curved, s iral or irregularly shapedgrooves woul be within the purview of this invention as set forth in theappended claims.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent fromthefollowing description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawingsin which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the drier in the most effective dryingposition, with a needle applied; v i v Figure 2 is an elongated view ofthe drier witih a portion of a needle shown in section; an

Figure 3 is, a horizontal, cross sectional view taken on line 83 ofFigure 2.

Referring to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the needle drier isdesignated generally by the numeral 10. This drier comprises the bulb11, constructed preferably of rubber, and the plug 12, having a nipple18 formed integrally or otherwise attached at its outer end. The innerend of this plug 12 is adapted to be inserted in the bulb 11, and toprevent too easy removal therefrom is formed with a series of steppedshoulders 14. This plug is also furnished with an enlarged knurledportion 15 which provides a convenient part by. which the drier may begrasped by the fingers of the operator in applying and removing theneedle or inserting the plug 12 into or withdrawing it from 70 the bulb11. The plug 12 has. an axial bore 16 for the passage of air to and fromthe bulb during the drying operation. The outer surface 17 of the nipple13 is nearly cylindrical but tapers very slightly from its largestdiameter nearest the knurled portion 15 to its smallest diameter at itsouter end.

This construction permits a tight wedging fit of the nipple into thesocket of the instrument to be dried. This surface 17 of the nipple isprovided with grooves 18 cut therein and passing from one end to theother of the nipple. Grooves 18 may be of any desired shape and may bearranged in any desired relation one to the other. In the embodiment ofthe invention shown in the drawings in Figure 3, the grooves 18 have asemi-cylindrical cross section, and from inspection of Figure 2 it willbe seen that they are positioned with two crossed grooves-in'alternation with one straight groove parallel to the axis of thenipple, the ends of the crossed grooves coinciding with the ends of theparallel grooves as at 19.

In the drawing, the instrument to be dried is shown as an ordinaryhypodermic needle 20 having a body 21, point 22, bore 23,-and hub 24.Within the hub 24 is the socket 25, the wall 26 of which is slightlytapered and is connected to the bore 23 by the shoulder 27.

It is behind this shoulder 27 that a portion of the water or cleaningsolution lodges during the cleaning process and remains during.

nipple from entering the socket as far as the shoulder 27. In thispositionithe grooves 18 a form return passageways betweenthe wall 26 ofthe socket and the nipple 13-for the portion of the stream of air orother drying fluid which impinges against the shoulder27. In this mannerall i of. the entrapped moisture in the socket of the needle, especiallythat .which lodges behind the shoulder 2'? is removed. .It will be seenthat in effect the blast of air from the bulb 11 upon its emergence fromthe bore 16 of the; nipple is divided, one portion passing-through thebore 23 of the needle as in the ordinary drying process, and anotherportion strikingthe shoulder 27 and being thus directed downwardlythrough the passages formed by grooves 18 and the wall 26 of the socket,thus thoroughly drying theinterior of. the needle.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new anddesiredtolbe secured by Letters. Patent is: I

luA; drier for tubular instruments,.-con1- prising. means for passingthe dryingfluid from the interior of said tubular instruments outthrough both ends thereof. 1

l 2; l A drier for tubular instruments having an internalshoulder,comprising means, for directing the drying fluid against said shoulderandmeans whereby said fluid may leave said instrument through both endsof said instruinent. p V

f: 3. A drier for tubular surgical instruments, each having a bore, (a:hub and an, internal shoulder, said drier comprising neans fordirectingva stream of drying ,fluid'through such instrument, and meansfor dividing said stream so that one part of it is directed through saidbore and another part directed against .said shoulder and from; thencethrou h said hub.

at. drierfor tubular instruments, comprising a bulb and a nipple, saidnipple having a grooved exterior surface.

5. .A' drier for tubular instruments, comprisin g a bulb formedofflexible material and a nipple extending from said bulb and adapted toenter one end of said instrument, said nipple having grooves in itsexterior surface.

6. A drier for tubular instruments, having bores of different diametersand a shoulder atthe junctionlof said bores, said drier ineluding anipple adapted to enter the larger of said bores and to direct a streamof dryingflfluid into said bores and against said shoulder, grooves onthe outer surface of said nipple adapted to provide return passagewaysfor the fluid which impinges upon said shoulder, whereby the retentionof moisture behind .said shoulder is prevented.

7 ;jrA drier forga hypodermic needle having a hollow hub portion, anarrow bore and a shoulder at the junction of the interior wallof.saidlhublportioniand saidbore, said drier comprising a rubber bulbprovided with a nipple,- said nipple adapted to enter the hub portion ofsaid needle and to direct streams of 'air through said bore and againstsaid shoulders,saido nipple mlso Hbeing, provided with grooves ,in;its-.enterion surface ,whereby an exitisprovided for the stream of airwhich impinges against said shoulder, together with anymoisture,entrapped-behind said -shouler. a I

. 8.; ,Aidltier forrtubular instruments com risinganeans entering saidinstruments for-passing I a drying, fluid therethrongh, and, meansproviding return; passageways; for, a portion of said fluid; between.,thewalls of said first mentioned means and. said instrument.

a 9; r A drier for a hypodermic needle having .a. slightly tapered:socket, ,a correspondingly tapered nipple adapted, to ,fit tightly;within said socke'twith its forward end spaced from the innerendiofthesocket,said nipple being providedtwith grooves in it exteriorsurface, affording vents for, the. space between the inner end of saidsocketand the'vforward end of said nipple.

10. A [device for directing, a" fluid, current through a hypodermicneedle having a socket, a fine bore,.and a shoulder atIthe inner .end

of'saidsocket, which comprisesa bulb and a nipple, saidwnip'ple adaptedtofit tightly W hin-said, sock tuwith itsendyspa ed from said shoulderand? being ,prdvi'ded with grooves in its outer surface whereby returnpassageways are; provided betweenlsaid nipple and. said socket for fthe. venting of said fluid currenttoggtherwith. any entrained moistureorother foreign matter.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

PHILIP WESLEY FLAGGE.

